


a thousand fairy lights

by johnnys



Series: one room apartment [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: College AU, M/M, everyone likes jaehyun, jaerose, johnny is a nervous wreck, johnyong are skateboarders, taeyong is a dog person, taeyong is lowkey a vsco girl, very very very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21771514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnnys/pseuds/johnnys
Summary: he didn't expect the fairy lights on his first visit to taeyong's room. or the puppy.(a one-shot in which johnny walks taeyong back to his apartment late one night, not expecting to stay. but he does anyway.)
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: one room apartment [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568320
Comments: 5
Kudos: 100





	a thousand fairy lights

**Author's Note:**

> i absolutely ADORE johnyong. fave nct ship by far :) enjoy ♡

he didn't expect the fairy lights on his first visit to taeyong's room. or the puppy. 

the whole space glitters when the lights go on, strings and strings of tiny bulbs draped across every wall. it's a stark contrast to the brooding exterior taeyong puts on outside the apartment walls, the pursed lips and narrowed eyes, and that moody expression that rests beyond a dark gaze. johnny had always seen taeyong as the loner type, the kind of guy who wears ripped jeans and torn-up sneakers, and ghosts around the skatepark at midnight. now, though, it is very clear that his initial impression of taeyong's aesthetic had been well and truly wrong. 

"come in," taeyong whispers, a hand in johnny's as he tugs him into the one-room apartment. he's tipsy, a little giddy, and the walls he puts up have crumbled. 

they shouldn't have shared that bottle of soju at the skate park earlier. they'd started off taking it in turns to drink, sitting on the edge of the half-pipe, voices hushed under the darkening clouds. in his recent experience of getting to know lee taeyong, drinking in any shape or form hadn't been on the agenda, and so johnny hadn't anticipated how much of a lightweight he was. johnny had been the one to finish the bottle, but taeyong seemed drunk after his first few gulps. as a result, johnny had to confiscate his board on the walk back, because letting a tipsy taeyong skate home seemed like a recipe for disaster. 

"you have a puppy?" is all johnny can manage between all the fairy lights blinking warmly at him. 

taeyong pushes the front door shut with his foot, a discontented pout working its way onto his lips. "i wish," he says, "i'm babysitting." 

"don't you mean dogsitting?" 

"no, she's my baby." 

johnny stifles a chuckle, because taeyong looks so serious as he lets go of his hand to greet the dog, burying his face in her fur and kissing the tip of her nose. 

"she's cute," johnny admits. 

taeyong nods in firm agreement and plops the puppy down on his pillow. the bed is neatly made, and the apartment is almost immaculate. johnny figures taeyong would throw a fit if he ever saw the state of his room. or maybe have a minor stroke. whilst johnny's apartment is cluttered with mess and dirty laundry, taeyong's feels like a page out of an ikea catalogue. the sheets are spotted with green leaves and cherry blossoms, and all of his old skateboards are hung carefully on one wall next to a noticeboard full of polaroids. on the windowsill there's a nursery of tiny green potted plants, all too well looked after to ever find themselves vying for taeyong's attention. 

johnny feels like he should be vying for taeyong's attention instead. all of it is going to that adorable little dog. 

"okay, well..." johnny takes a breath. they haven't known each other long. maybe taeyong would rather if he left. "i'm just gonna... goodnight-" 

"huh?" taeyong looks over imploringly from the bed, and suddenly those big brown eyes of his are working in tandem with the actual puppy's puppy dog eyes, and johnny feels compelled to stay. 

"i just..." he scratches at his nape, uncertain. 

"stay," taeyong says, voice as soft as that expression on his face.

johnny doesn't argue with that, and crosses the room to join him on the bed. "you should get some sleep. you know we both have class tomorrow." 

"you should sleep too then," taeyong reasons, and to demonstrate his point he rolls over to the far side of the bed to leave room for johnny's larger frame. 

johnny hesitates, but the two thirds of that bottle of soju he drank is messing with his better judgement. sure, he's only really known taeyong for a few weeks, and he's only just found out he's a huge softie, but curling up in bed with the guy can't hurt, right? just for a little while?

"it's late," taeyong pouts at him, and pats the mattress expectantly.

johnny knows he's easily convinced because he instantly caves, lying down flat beside taeyong's curled-up figure. it's weird. they haven't known each other long, but there's a foggy part of johnny's brain that makes him feel like he's known taeyong forever. it's like he's watched him make breakfast, and study at the desk in the corner, and play with that tiny puppy, for as long as he can remember. it's like there's never been a world without taeyong in it.

and it's a nice feeling. but it's also absolutely terrifying.

"i like you, johnny," taeyong says abruptly.

johnny starts having a small heart attack. "hm?" he says in a strangled tone.

"you never seem to care about anything," taeyong clarifies in that adorable sleepy mumble. "i wish i could live like you. it seems nice."

johnny calms his heart down again, pleading with it to stop beating so fast. "right," he says, still staring at the ceiling, "yeah, it's alright." 

they lie there for what feels like a long time, and while johnny lies stiff, taeyong rolls over to curl into his side. "do you think people are scared of me?" he asks.

johnny scoffs. "scared of you? the guy whose room is covered in fairy lights and who babysits tiny dogs? yeah, terrified."

taeyong lets out the tiniest tinkle of a giggle, and hits a weak fist against johnny's arm. "i'm serious!" he insists, "nobody talks to me. but maybe that's because i don't talk to them."

"no, it's just because you're a vsco girl and they don't know how to deal with that," johnny tells him matter-of-factly.

"what the hell even is that?" taeyong says, laughing though his eyes are half-closed and sleepy. "but really… i hate approaching people first… maybe that's why i never spoke to that guy…"

johnny's eyes shoot open, going wide at the word guy. "what guy?" he demands, staring at taeyong's almost-sleeping face.

taeyong scrunches his nose and presses his cheek into johnny's arm. "just this guy i used to have a crush on…" 

this guy i used to have a crush on. "what's his name?" johnny's breath catches in his throat.

"...jaehyun," taeyong yawns.

"pfft, that's nothing special," johnny mutters, painfully aware of taeyong's warm presence against his side, "everyone's had a crush on jaehyun."

not seeming to pick up on the fact that johnny has also had a crush on jaehyun, taeyong rambles on trying to reason out why having such a crush is acceptable - since jaehyun is so terribly perfect. "but he's really cute," taeyong says, jutting out his lower lip as thoughts of brown-haired, handsome, sensible jaehyun cross his mind.

"yeah," johnny mindlessly agrees, "he is."

"i'm over it now though," taeyong says quickly, nodding his head as if to assure himself of this fact. "he's kinda boring. all he does is study."

"maybe you should be doing more of that," johnny says teasingly. "you're always out on the half-pipe showing off."

taeyong looks away bashfully, a small smile on his lips, and johnny expects him to say something like, i don't show off… i just like to skate. but what taeyong actually says is, "but i'm good!" and he has a look of drunken yet smug satisfaction written across his face.

"yeah," johnny agrees again, in the same tone as earlier, "you are."

it's true. 

taeyong's good on a skateboard, maybe even better than johnny. 

maybe. just a little. 

johnny's lost count of the number of times he's caught himself watching taeyong skate, risking his kneecaps in shredded skinny jeans, performing for the whole skate park but doing it like no one is watching. he's seen the younger kids watching too, mouths gaping at all of taeyong's flips and tricks, declaring that they want to get that good soon. it's cute, but not as cute as taeyong's smug little smirk right now, cheek pressed up against johnny's sleeve.

"so you had a crush on jaehyun too?" taeyong whispers, looking up at johnny with those big dark eyes of his, still a little glazed over with how drunk he already is from less than half a bottle of soju. his fingers curl around the fabric of johnny's sleeve, latching onto his arm in a way that says he'll never let go.

"uh…" johnny bites his lip, but there's a tiny smile that twitches at the corners because maybe, maybe, he really has a chance of being something more than friends with taeyong. something he's only just realising he wants. "yeah, yeah… i used to," he admits. "we took one of the same classes back in first year, started talking a bit. then he started dating that girl - park chaeyoung? so yeah, i let that one go."

"are they still together?" taeyong muses.

"yeah, i think so."

"must be nice."

they lie there for a while, under the twinkling fairy lights strung from every wall, and under the light of the stars that glitter through the open curtains. taeyong sighs and hooks a leg over johnny's, ducks his head under his arm and wraps himself around johnny's torso instead. johnny feels his breath hitch. he finds himself quickly melting into taeyong's touch. 

"is it okay to hug you like this while i sleep?" taeyong yawns, burying his face in johnny's chest. "i'm lonely."

"y-yeah… yeah, it's okay."

johnny lets his arm fall around taeyong's shoulders, unconsciously pulling him closer. it's nice. that's one word to describe the experience. it's soft, and warm, and comforting, and so is taeyong. his hair smells like strawberries and there's the faint ghost of alcohol on his breath. johnny could easily stay here forever, until the end of time, until eternity. the puppy is asleep on the pillows, and taeyong's almost asleep in his arms.

"hey, taeyong?" johnny murmurs, almost starting to think that taeyong's already drifted off.

"mhm?"

"you don't have to be lonely anymore."


End file.
